Illuminating device



Sept. 18, 1934. G. c. LYNCH 1,974,078

' ILLUMINATING DEVICE Filed April 14, 1931 1 IINVHVTORI. 2

A TTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 18, 1934 ILLUMINATING DEVICE George C. Lynch,

Application April 14,

4 Claims.

This invention is an illuminating device, and has for its object to arrange a reflector and shade with relation to an illuminant so as to produce a novel lighting effect comprising merely a softened 5 glow transmitted through the shade, together with suitable reflection of that light which is projected upwardly beyond the shade.

More particularly it is an object of the invention to provide an opaque member beneath an illuminant, with a reflector at the upper surface of the opaque member adapted to upwardly and laterally reflect the light, and a shade projecting upwardly from the outer periphery of the opaque member and laterally surrounding the illuminant for projection of the upwardly reflected light through the open upper end of the shade, and so arranged as to transmit and diffuse the laterally reflected rays for creating a soft glow of desired color and decorative effect.

It is a further object of the invention to prevent dissipationof the upwardly reflected light by reflecting the same throughout a desired area of illumination while at the same time avoiding shadows; and for this purpose a light screen may be longitudinally spaced above the shade, with the screen adapted for non-glaring lateral and downward reflection of at least'a portion of the upwardly reflected rays so as toincrease the intensity of downward illumination while maintaining a soft glow, and preferably transmitting the remainder of the upwardly reflected rays and diffusing or modifying the same so as to create merely a glow above the lighting device :merging without shadows into the lateral'and downward illumination.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide for convenient support of the shade and screen with relation to'the illuminant and its underlying opaque member, and to preferably adapt the supporting means for ready interchanging of various shades and screens, and the screen adapted for adjustment for desired regulation of the area of illumination.

The invention will be readily understood from the following description'of the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the invention, partly in axial section Fig. 2 is a similar view showing a modification 0- of the invention.

The illuminant is shown as a usual electric lamp globe 1, mounted on a transverse opaque member 2 which forms a reflector 3 at its upper surface whereby all of the light is upwardly and laterally reflected.

Los Angeles, Calif.

1931, Serial No. 530,008

A shade 4 extends upwardly from the outer periphery of member 2 so as to surround the illuminant, and the laterally reflected light is thus directed through the shade whereby it is preferably diff-used a softened glow of desired color and decorative efieot; and the lighting device is supported at such elevation that the lamp globe is completely concealed from above, and that light which is reflected upwardly beyond the shade is directed above the line of Vision, while the junctionof the shade with the outer periphery of opaque member 2 similarly conceals the lamp globe from below, and eliminates direct downward glaring illumination beyond the periphery of the opaque member.

In order to create the desired glow and decorative effect at the shade l, it is preferably translucent, parchment for example suitably tinted and colored at'both its inner and outer surfaces; and the light is thus modified or diffused by its transmission through the shade, while a portion of the li ht is upwardly reflected by the inner surface of the shade so as to increase the intensity of illumination above the shade.

The shade 4 may be fixed to usual annular hoops 5 and 6 at its upper and lower ends, and may be removably supported by lugs '7 projecting inwardly from hoop 6 and adapted to rest upon the peripheral edge of opaque member 2; and with the parts operatively assembled as shown in Fig. 1, a glow of light is created through shade 4, with no glaring downward illumination, and with the rays which are projected above the shade of such intensity that indirect lighting by reflection from an overlying ceiling may be obtained.

If desired the construction may be modified as shown in Fig. 2 so as to prevent dissipation of the light projected-upwardly from within shade 4. For this purpose the light may be intercepted before striking a ceiling so as to redirect the light for adequate illumination throughout any desired area. As an instance of this arrangement a transverse screen 8 may be longitudinally spaced above a shade 4a which is operatively mounted as previously described, and the screen preferably projects laterally and is longitudinally spaced beyond the annulus defined by the shade, so as to intercept all the light projected upwardly from within the annular shade. The screen is adapted to reflect a portion of the light thus striking the same, for laterally and downward reflection, and for this purpose may be translucent, parchment for example suitably colored or tinted at both its upper and lower surfaces, so that a portion of the light is diffused so as to eliminate glare and is laterally and downwardly reflected between the screen and the top of the shade, and the remainder of the light is transmitted through the screen and is modified thereby so as to create an upward glow above the lighting device,

The lighting eifect thus includes a soft glow through the shade without bright illumination directly below the same, and non-glaring downward reflection from its screen above the shade and throughout any desired area and of any desired intensity, with merely a glow of light above the screen, and the various areas of illumination preferably merging without shadows. The screen is preferably removably mounted in operative position by a holder extending down into and supported by the lower portion of the reflector, and for this purpose .a holder which is generally applicable for supporting a light intercepting means, and such as described and claimed in my copending application Ser. No. 530,007 filed April 14, 1931, may be employed. The holder comprises a plurality of bowed wires 9 projecting upwardly from a hoop 10 which may be adapted for removable reception in a cup-shaped depression 11 at the center of opaque member 2a,; and the wires 9 meet longitudinally beyond lamp globe 1a and form a support for a telescopic standard 12-1205 on which the screen 8 is adapted for mounting.

The screen is preferably fixed to a usual wire frame which includes a central washer 13, with the washer adapted for reception on rod 12a so as to rest against a nut 14 which may be threaded onto the rod and a retaining nut 15 preferably threaded onto the rod above the screen; and the telescopic standard may be adjusted by a set screw 20 so as to position the screen for intercepting all of the light projected upwardly from within shade ea, thereby insuring desired reflection of the light without shadows on an overlying ceiling. If it is desired to increase the lateral refiection from the screen, an auxiliary reflecting element 16 may be mounted on rod 12a below the screen, and in the present instance is shown as an inverted cone supported upon a nut 17 which is adapted for threaded reception on rod 12a so that the base of the cone may be fitted snugly against screen 8. The cone has a suitable outer surface adapted for nonglaring reflection of light striking the same, so as to increase the intensity of lateral reflection above shade 4a while at the same time maintaining a soft glow rather than glaring illumination; and if desired the surface of the cone may form a plurality of longitudinally spaced reflecting surfaces 18, each providing any desired angle of reflection so to direct the light in any desired manner.

The invention thus provides a glow of light of desired decorative efiect and with no area of intense illumination, but with the rays which are projected upwardly beyond the shade which surrounds and conceals the illuminant adapted for lateral and downward reflection so as to provide illumination of desired. intensity throughout a determined area, and with the upwardly projectedlight preferably prevented from dissipation against a ceiling, but intercepted and redirected so as to increase the soft illumination throughout a desired area, while at the same time preferably providing a glow of light all the way to the ceiling but without shadows or sharply defined areas of illumination.

I claim:

1. In a lighting device, a standard, an illuminant supported by the standard, a reflector below the illuminant adapted to reflect light rays divergently upwardly, a shade projecting upwardly from the outer periphery of the reflector and surrounding and concealing the illuminant, a transverse light intercepting means supported by means operatively connected to the standard so that the light intercepting means is above the shade and adapted to intercept light rays striking the same, and means for vertically adjusting the light intercepting means.

2. In a lighting device, a standard, an illuminant supported by the standard, a reflector below the illuminant adapted to reflect light rays divergently upwardly, a shade. projecting upwardly from the outer periphery of the reflector and surrounding and concealing the illuminant, a transverse light intercepting means, and means projecting upwardly from within the shade for supporting the light intercepting means so that it is above the shade and adapted to intercept light rays striking the same.

3. In a lighting device, a standard, an illuminant supported by the standard, a reflector below the illuminant adapted to reflect light rays divergently upwardly, a shade projecting upwardly from the outer periphery of the reflector and surrounding and concealing the illuminant, a transverse light screen supported by means operatively connected to the standard so that the light screen is above the shade, and a reflector below the light screen and above the shade.

4. In a lighting device, a standard, an illumi nant supported by the standard, a reflector below the illuminant adapted to reflect light rays divergently upwardly, a shade projecting upwardly from the outer periphery of the reflector and surrounding and concealing the illuminant, and 13a an inverted conical reflector supported by means operatively connected to the standard so that the reflector is above the shade.

GEORGE C. LYNCH. 

